This invention relates to a method and device for improving cardiac function, particularly where there is congestive heart failure.
Congestive heart failure occurs, inter alia, where there has been a heart attack or an infection. In either case, the pumping action of the heart is impaired. In another malfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, the myocardium of the left ventricle becomes thickened to the point of interfering with effective heart contraction.
A surgical procedure for treating congestive heart failure involves inserting cardiac implant into a patient for purposes of constricting or closing off a lower, apical, portion of at least one ventricle of the patient's heart, thereby reducing ventricular volume and enhancing pumping efficiency.
This treatment of congestive heart failure may be implemented via minimally invasive procedures. Such procedures are described in several of the following patents on this technique: U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,968, U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,021, U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,754, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,529, as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/435,525, filed Nov. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,077, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/886,177 filed Jul. 7, 2004.